Small Aircraft Pilots Press For New Airport In County

ST. CLOUD — Small aircraft owners like Zeno C. Walls and Carlton Johns say the need for a new general aviation airport in Osceola is becoming acute.

Johns, who bases his Mooney single-engine plane at an airfield near Lake Gentry, says the Kissimmee Municipal Airport caters to corporate jets and tourists visiting the major resort attractions, such as Disney World and Sea World.

To make matters worse, John says, small aircraft pilots often experience fueling delays and difficulties in scheduling landings and take-offs at the busy Kissimmee facility.

''We have a real problem with congestion,'' said Walls, who paints aircraft based at a private airstrip in St. Cloud.

Walls, who has been flying for about 20 years, said a new airport must be built soon to relieve the overcrowding at Kissimmee and the Orlando Executive Airport.

Both Johns and Walls, who owns a Bonanza single-engine plane, said they would prefer flying to and from a well-maintained airport near St. Cloud.

The two pilots were among a crowd of about 25 people who attended a hearing Wednesday in Kissimmee on a draft report that recommends the expansion of the Kissimmee air terminal and the construction of a new general aviation airport in the central part of the county.

The report, which will serve as a blueprint for aviation needs and demands in Central Florida for the next 20 years, does not specify where the new airport should be located.

But St. Cloud officials -- eager for an opportunity to bolster its economic image -- are pushing the city as a sponsor for a new publicly funded airport. The city's chances got a major boost after Wednesday's meeting, which was arranged by the state Department of Transportation and the aviation steering committee of the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council.

The resolution endorses the draft report's recommendations and presses the city's interest in building an air terminal and paved runway near the proposed sewage-sprayfield site off Canoe Creek Road.

Mayor Bob Renick also attended the meeting, but waited until later to lobby state officials about the proposal.

To secure state and federal funding to build and operate the proposed airport, St. Cloud's plans must be included in the final report, which is expected to be completed in June.

Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration approved reserving airspace over St. Cloud, the first step toward licensing approval for the facility.

Bauman said DOT hired the Tampa consulting firm of Reynolds, Smith and Hill to draft the 20-year master plan for aviation growth in Central Florida.

Consultant Glenn Kay said the demand for general aviation airports will skyrocket in the next two decades. For example, the number of landings and takeoffs is expected to double from 1.5 million in 1984 to more than 3 million in 2005, he said.

The DOT master plan will lay the groundwork for financing improvements to the area's existing 56 airports and the construction of new facilities, Kaye said.

St. Cloud has a private airstrip on Michigan Avenue that is operated by Lewis LeHeup. That facility has been a money-loser for several years, LeHeup said.